cubicle walls came crashing down around me unveiling a new agile 'commons' ... though 'caves' for individuals to retreat into for quiet contemplation were nowhere to be seen.

How come this doesn't surprise me the least bit? I'd actually bet this is what happens most of the time. Every other thing suggested by whatever the selected methodology must be followed to the fullest (especially if it requires some work for the developers), but when it comes to allowing the workers to actually work ...

'cause, you know, when you're communicating, the manager may look and see you're all there, you're babbling in techspeak, maybe you even draw some diagrams on the whiteboard, ... everything's apparently working. But then you would disappear somewhere he/she can't see you and God only knows what you'd be doing there. Nope dude, I've got to see you. Great that we found this methodology that allowed us to bring down the cubicle walls ...