In the
fantasy novels of
Rick Cook, a converted
cow barn on the grounds of the
Wizard's Keep in the magical World, used as a
workspace by a team of
Cupertino programmers brought to that World to improve the
spell compiler created by
Wiz Zumwalt, turning it into
WIZ-DOS.
When the programmers arrived, the cow barn was the only place that the castle staff could find to put them (as all the towers were taken). It did have several advantages; it was dry, fairly comfortable, and already divided up into cubicles. The programmers adapted it by setting up long tables in the middle where all the specifications and design documents were laid out, using the whitewashed wall at one end as a whiteboard, and keeping a large urn of blackmoss tea brewing at all times. Having a separate location also made it convenient to use a time-expansion spell to give the programmers more time to work.
After most of the programmers departed, leaving only Wiz, Jerry, and Danny, the castle stablemaster reclaimed their quarters for his cows, and they took up residence in a workroom in the main tower of the Wizard's Keep.
Sources: Rick Cook, The Wizardry Compiled, The Wizardry Cursed, The Wizardry Consulted