They are better than an open office plan inside of a company - because those people are collaborating more loudly and feel that as long as it's on topic it's ok

They are better than an open office plan inside of a company - because those people are collaborating more loudly and feel that as long as it's on topic it's okay to be loud. Generally a bunch of professionals working on different things are quieter than that. It obviously won't beat a dedicated office, though.