Bickel was born to a well-to-do family of Columbus, Ohio who sent him to Europe for six years to prepare him for a career in architecture. On his return in 1875, he settled in Pittsburgh, apprenticed with an architect there. In 1885 he opened his independent practice, at first in partnership with J.P. Brennan, a partnership that was soon dissolved. Bickel's practice at its height averaged $3,000,000 a year in billings and was concentrated in commercial structures. He served for a time as architect to the city of Pittsburgh, and designed and built numerous police precinct houses and the Public Safety offices.
Failing health forced him to retire in 1920, and he turned his practice over to his son.
Selected commissions
Many of Bickel's commercial structure were of fireproof construction.
Logan-Gregg Hardware Company building, eight storeys.
Spear & Company, ten storeys
May Building, twelve storeys
German National Bank, 313 Sixth Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh, eight storeys, 1890
Columbia National Bank, ten storeys
Methodist Book Concern building, eight storeys
United Presbyterian Book building, eleven storeys
H. and I Kaufman and I. Kaufman stores, ten and twelve storeys, 1898
Hartje Building, twelve storeys, and three Hartje storeys
B. White Building, eight storeys
Atlantic Financial Building, 1889
Pittsburgh Terminal Warehouse and Transfer Company, 1906
