Aims: Biochar is a soil amendment used to improve soil quality and plant productivity in an agricultural application, and there were fewer researches to use it in rangeland species. This study aimed to determine if lignite and wheat straw biochar (WSB) could be used to promote Astragalus podolobus growth, inclusive Plant height, crown diameter, canopy cover, the volume of cover, leaf area, and leaf perimeter. In this study, it is assumed that WSB and lignite’s use will increase the growth of A. podolobus species. A. podolobus, as a palatable shrub from the Leguminosae family, is a native species of Turkmen Sahra.
Materials & Methods: A greenhouse experiment was designed with (WSB) and lignite, at 1.25%, 2.5%, and 3.75%w/w of soil in six replications. The soil texture was clay loam. Statistical analyses were performed by two-way analysis of variance using the SPSS16 statistical software.
Findings:  In lignite application, the highest height, crown diameter, canopy cover, and volume of cover were observed for a 3.75% application rate after the 4^th month and were 25.03cm, 23.52cm, 528.65cm², and 15581cm³, respectively. While the highest values of these parameters for WSB were obtained for 2.5% of the application rate after the fourth month and were 22.62cm, 20.66cm, 401.66cm², and 11318.3cm³, respectively.
Conclusion: Plant height, crown diameter, canopy cover, the volume of cover, leaf area, and leaf perimeter were promoted by increasing lignite dosage (3.75%) in the soil while nearly all parameters decreased at the same WSB incorporation dose.

Aims: Topology optimization is among contemporary approaches introduced to connect Architecture and Structural Engineering through simultaneous form-finding of the Architecture and Structural design. It is among various optimizations methods in structural engineering, which has been recently adopted in the architectural design process due to its direct effect on the overall form of the structure. This research aims to outline the potentials of this method within the realm of the design process as a framework.

Methods: Given that this research is performed using Finite Element modelling, at first, the theoretical framework of TO within FE software is described briefly and practically. Further on, different examples of the application of this method for architectural design is introduced, and the procedure of utilizing the method within architectural design process by use of related software and algorithms is described.

Findings: Throughout the Architectural design with TO, the effect of the initial design decisions on the resulting forms becomes somewhat unclear; for this purpose, morphology diagrams have been provided for cases similar to the design problem to facilitate the initial decision making of the designer at the initial stages of the design. Morphology diagrams, describing the effect of parameters related to boundary conditions for similar cases, make the design process transparent.

Conclusion: in this paper, a well-defined framework of the TO process and the required information to apply this method in the architectural design process are presented, and its application in the case study of an urban pedestrian bridge is described.