For what its worth, I actually don't most of the time. A bit of ambient chatter doesn't really bother me, however that is of course down to personal preference. We try to accommodate people's working habits, but the floor I'm on is relatively quiet since its all technical folks (we have the sales people on another floor where they can chat away)

A single person / noise source is super distracting, but ambient chatter is wonderful

> but ambient chatter is wonderful

I respectfully disagree. Maybe it's OK if the chatter is indistinct and unintelligible, but if you're in an open plan office it's likely that some of the chatter is from your neighbors.

The only thing more distracting than a single conversation next to you is two separate nearby conversations next to you.

Fair enough - and I expect it probably varies by individual. I would strongly wager that I get more done at a coffee shop, or some place with a low buzz, than sitting alone at my house - as long as the conversation isn't directly at me. I do bring some high quality over ear headphones with me in case it gets temporarily loud though.

Basically I think that as long as the conversation is interspersed / mixed enough that I can't easily understand what people are talking about, then I think it's not thought disruptive, and even beneficial in that case - I agree when people are talking loud / clear enough that you are basically a third listener in their conversation that it can be less than ideal.

> but have rooms available ... for heads-down working

Seems like you don't have to.

So, I can make one of those rooms my permanent office? Ok, I'm down with that. Otherwise, it's not the same thing.

I basically did this at my job. The open office chatter and sounds really affects me, and I really don't feel like pumping more sound into my ears all the time just to drown out the sound I don't want to listen to. So, I started grabbing the same small private space in our office every day and worked there all day long. Now everyone knows it as my "office", even though it's mostly said as a joke.

Is it so much to ask for silence at my own desk?