> That's not necessarily a bad thing, since spontaneous conversation encourages creativity.

Sorry, but this just isn't true. Open office layouts are a bad thing. There are studies showing that they make people sick, unhappy, and less productive. People sometimes feel more creative and engaged, but on average they're not.

See http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119992592.ch6... and http://www.newyorker.com/currency-tag/the-open-office-trap for more background.