Asking this question appears to focus purely on a technical and practical view of the office. A business itself would obviously not exist without the people who essentially are the business, and the successful accommodation of these people and their needs should lead businesses to think about many other considerations rather than the purely practical, so these need to be incorporated to provide a more comprehensive answer to this question. Also, answering this question can lead to the need to ask other questions.
Why do we need solid brick walls within the office?
If the main supporting structure of a building is sound and safe there is essentially no real need to have anything other than the essential supporting wall within the office. That fact that it appears or is perceived to be less trouble to change it may be the one thing that prevents a business from achieving a more or less ideal internal layout and appearance.
Modern day office folding partition walls are solid, strong, safe, and durable. In terms of these characteristics they are as good as they need to be. They are however more flexible in terms of the features, patterns and finishes they can incorporate and where and how they can be introduced.
In terms of simply dividing a space, once again partitions are every bit as good as solid walls. Glass office partitions however could be said to have the edge over solid brick walls because they allow a feeling of light and space to be kept inside the office; the visual aspect is maintained despite the physical division. This can also be a very good addition in terms of visual communication.
Solid brick / concrete walls may (or may not) provide the required level of sound insulation for an individual office space. This may be of vital importance on some occasions or to some functions or personnel. The latest office partitions can offer very good sound (and heat) insulation, and certainly to the required normal level for most office situations.
When it comes to making future changes to an office layout, solid brick / concrete walls obviously provide a formidable barrier to remove. Once office partitions have been installed, when it comes to removing some or making changes to the existing ones the whole process can be much easier and much less disruptive.
Solid brick walls are also unable to provide a temporary or moveable structure. Office partitions however needn’t only be solid and permanent but some types can also be folding, sliding, or can simply be moved without too much fuss from one area of a room to another.