I think the type of office space needs to meet the group's work. If solitary quiet work is required, you need either lots of quiet spots or a liberal telecommuting policy. If you need lots of communication, open is fine.
I'm surprised that open works there, but Zuckerberg is a developer and has hired most of the senior team. They must have data that it works for them.
> Facebook's engineering director Jocelyn Goldfein spoke about open office plans during her recent talk at Stanford. She explicitly stated that it decreases her team's productivity, but that it was embraced because it promotes "openness" which is a core value at Facebook.
I'm surprised that open works there, but Zuckerberg is a developer and has hired most of the senior team. They must have data that it works for them.