Miguel is building a doghouse. He cuts one sheet of wood to make the front wall. He also cuts out a door that is 2 feet by 2 feet. The dimensions, in feet, are shown in the diagram.

Miguel needs to paint the wood. What is the area he needs to paint?
1. What is the area of the rectangular piece of wood before the square is cut out? Include units with your answer. Write your answer in the space below.