Hivelogic has a great post about workspaces, and “getting in the zone” to do creative work. I’ve been thinking about this more as I recently started working from home, contracting as part of a virtual team for a remote client. Although my home office is quiet and comfy, I do miss the energy of having others around, at least when I want them. Even with email, IM, and twitter, I still feel like a hermit. I like the idea of “coworking” but from the examples I’ve seen, it’s a bunch of folks dumped into a big room with shared tables – not much private space, and perhaps too much potential distraction. One of the commenters make what I see as the best suggestion – have an office which opens onto a common area where you can interact with others, and even leave your door open at times, but be able to close the door when you really need to concentrate.