The Stack Exchange office has a number of open areas where folks can (and do) work if they bring their laptop along. As a developer, though, I like my multiple monitors, my keyboard, etc. Once in a while a change in the environment is nice, but most times I find not working with my optimized setup is more annoying than anything.

(Mind you, since our teams are distributed, there's often no such thing as "working together in a small-group environment" that doesn't involve being on a hangout, and everyone being in a private office helps immensely with that.)