This 140 Bronson sits on a triangular patch of ground at the southwest corner of Slater Street, wedged into the base of the Nanny Goat cliff. You can see how it abuts the back-yard retaining wall of the of the old Alexander Fleck mansion just uphill at 593 Laurier West.
The steep grade of Bronson Avenue as it runs down to Slater required that #140's concrete foundation be poured in stepped levels — I count three across this facade. I wonder how well that base is grounded to the bedrock below, given that the north (to your right) side of the building slumps a tad, as evinced by some cracking brickwork and the slightly misaligned window frames. There has to be some scree and back-fill under there. This part of the Nanny Goat limestone grades into patches of glacial till, so at least Leda clay isn't an issue.
This vertiginous Google shot shows the relative positions of the Fleck house (left of center, signature cupola, busy roof-lines) and #140 (right of center, mostly flat roofs, improvised massing). Note the long peak-roofed section toward the back of the building. Aerial photos at geoOttawa give 140 Bronson a construction date some time after 1928. The escarpment continues on the east side of Bronson to become the Tech Wall graffiti wall.
Catherine Boucher (@bearswim on Twitter) adds "...And providing some affordable housing. Leased from the City by @CCOChousing after Mike Harris killed the social housing programs. Built to be a furniture warehouse during WWII. Turned into (furnished) apts after the war."
