It’s been awhile since I read it, so correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought peopleware was advocating for the same as the GP - mixed spaces that suit the individual preferences of teams/individuals.
The experiment I remember from Peopleware (at Cornell, IIRC?) is that some people preferred quiet and some people did not, but when measured they all were more efficient at completing tasks in the quiet environment.
It was advocating for more old Microsoft-style layout, with a few smallish private offices (2-4 people IIRC) and common spaces for debates/planning/socializing between them.
Very much depends on the people. Two people can work okay, the chance of adding someone incompatible increases rapidly from there.
There seems a lot of reluctance to give the worker bees privacy. I don’t know if it’s a status thing or a “how do I know whether they’re goofing off on HN” thing. Maybe it amounts to the same issue.
