How is the simplest cheapest emptiest thing a systematic solution to anything. It's starting to design a workspace, drawing the interior/exterior border, then getting an interruption and coming back an hour later and thinking you are done.
It would be excellent parody of the the hula hoop circle "you know, for kids" gag from that old movie.
Often the simplest, cheapest, emptiest things make pretty good systems. They reduce waste, and have certain advantages.
Your joke is funny, but I promise you that's not the reason for open floor plans.
The key is that even an open plan is a system—it's just a less constrained system, with fewer rules. You still have to view it as a system and study the effects and interactions involved.
It would be excellent parody of the the hula hoop circle "you know, for kids" gag from that old movie.