I think it began as an experiment in making the ultimate office. Everyone would have a quiet, private workspace, and the horseshoe space would be this reconfigurable area with couches and whiteboards for standups and meetings and the social aspects of business. Of course what happened was when the company grew, the idealistic horseshoe space turned into temporary overflow cubicles which quickly became permanent cubicles.

> Do you plan to stay in that place? It doesn't sound like a very positive working environment.

It is a tad Orwellian, so no, I'm out after a year or so. :)

>It doesn't sound like a very positive working environment.

From everything I've been reading, and what I've experienced myself, it seems to be the upcoming norm for working environments.