It seems like these minimization problems are really something for me. I started with 47 area in my first solution and gradually improved one at a time. I spent hours looking for new layouts to shave off another Hex. The save to achieve an area of 43 seemed really unlikely already. Then on the next day, I realized I can use the input suppression I used to make up to 2 more area usable in theory. After a whole day of tinkering, I had a working 42!!! I imagine you could somehow get a 41 but probably not 40 (just two pistons). I'm really happy with min+1. My layout also just so happens to work with a piston and an arm, so we'll see where that goes.