Something as simple as "getting rid of cubicles and replacing them with enclosed offices" can boost productivity by eliminating distractions, he said.

Others, however, say working in open spaces can improve communication between developers, which is vital for most large projects.

For example, Altair Engineering Inc. opted for an open environment in an building it opened two years ago in Troy, Mich. With a three-story atrium that lets in natural light, the building features open areas shared by developers and their managers, said Michael Kidder, vice president for corporate marketing at the software development firm.

"We find that the open area provides a lot more communication between team members, which is critical to the quality of software," Kidder said. "That feedback loop is very hard to structure."

William Sims, a Cornell University professor who has studied workplace environments and software development, says his research found that open environments are more conducive to project development work.