I find I work best drifting into and out of social spaces as the pace of my attention changes. Right now, I'm winding down at the end of the day. 25' away, the

I find I work best drifting into and out of social spaces as the pace of my attention changes. Right now, I'm winding down at the end of the day. 25' away, there are a dozen interns in a conference room, a handful of which are talking continuously. I'm in a room with a wall of windows, sitting on a big beanbag chair. The A/C drowns out the noise outside, and I can get some serious work done - or catch up on HN, as the case may be. Either way, I can actually understand what I'm reading. When I'm in need of a break, I'll often wander to the kitchen for a glass of water or through the bullpen. I might join in a conversation here or there, and often someone will call me over to ask my opinion of something. This means that time that I would have otherwise spent looking out the window or holding my head in my hands is now spent being diverted on something that likely adds value to the company. So, yes - I agree with the author's main premise. It's important for an office for engineers, developers and creatives to have quiet, semi-private spaces mixed in with areas where you incidentally come in contact with other people.