Comment Pods/quads work well for our team (Score 1) 520
Where I am presently, we use pods/quads--similar to four cubicles that open up into shared middle space in which is a nice round table. We each have semi-privacy as everyone works in their corner of the pod/quad. We are close enough together that we can share ideas very easily, and have enough privacy that we can withdraw from the others when needed. All it takes is a quick roll of the chair. The centre table also makes it a convenient place for lunching together, code reviews, design brainstorming....
It might not be for everyone but it works for us.
Additionally, when populating the pods, we try to mix the new programmers into a pod with the seasoned programmers. It helps them learn faster as help (if necessary) is right there, and they can learn a lot just by listening in to the design conversations.