That sounds a lot like my workflow actually. You can still actually use tmux with it, with one session per workflow ('^b $' can name the session from inside it).

I found it useful, especially with Clojure and vim. The splits are nice everywhere, and it's way better to be in the habit of opening a tmux/screen when sshing.

That workflow is also why I hate OSX updates that force a reboot, which piles all the terminal and Chrome windows in one desktop. And then it's just an update for RAW camera files or something that I don't care about, but it nags me every day. /rant