They (Facebook) should really look at what research has found before they jump feet-first into having an open floor plan. It's not like they've just invented it!
Open floor plans were invented as a way to cram more people into less space, thereby minimizing cost of office space per employee. They were not invented to improve productivity.
Facebook offices have always been open plan. I personally like it. It can occasionally been frustrating, but overall the benefits outweigh the negatives for the way we work. I don't believe that it has ever been about minimizing costs.
Many people work from home or camp out in a small meeting room if they want privacy. There are also over ear head phones available for free all around the campus.
> I don't believe that it has ever been about minimizing costs.
At Facebook, no, it hasn't been. What parent is saying is that he hopes FB did some research on whether this will actually help or hurt productivity before risking the lifeblood of the company (engineer productivity).
37 Signals has a great approach where they have open office space, phone booths for private calls, and meeting rooms of varying sizes.
Speaking of research, they should also find out how much it costs to maintain a Ghery building. If you think Facebook stock is bad now wait until you see how a Ghery building affects their bottom line.
Open floor plans were invented as a way to cram more people into less space, thereby minimizing cost of office space per employee. They were not invented to improve productivity.