To find the area of a rectangle, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Area} = \text{length} \times \text{width} \]
In this case, you have the dimensions as 8 ft and 5 ft.
So, the area will be:
\[ \text{Area} = 8 , \text{ft} \times 5 , \text{ft} = 40 , \text{ft}² \]
Thus, the area is:
\[ a = 40 , \text{ft}² \]